Float valves in common use require to pass water at the rate of about 10 liters per minute or more, and consequently the float arrangement must be capable of closing off a valve aperture which usually exceeds 5 mm in diameter and can be subject to pressure of up to 200 p.s.i. (2200 kPa). This imposes a requirement for large size floats of a high strength and heavy construction far beyond what is required to fill the tray of an evaporative cooler, and the main object of this invention is to provide a satisfactory float valve which is of low cost but will amply fulfil those requirements.
As is well known, the most troublesome feature of any float valve is the elastomeric valve member which is required to close against a seat, and another object of this invention is to provide an improvement whereby an elastomeric valve member may be readily repositioned to present a new face to a valve seat.
A float valve in this invention has a hollow body having a spigot adjacent an orifice, a valve seat surrounding the orifice, a float arm pivoted to the hollow body, and an abutment surface on the float arm engageable against an elastomeric valve member when carried by the spigot.
More specifically, the invention consists of a float valve having walls defining a hollow body, a valve seat on one end of the body surrounding orifice walls, a spigot adjacent the valve seat, an elastomeric valve member having an aperture the walls of which engage the spigot,
a float arm, pivot means pivotally interconnecting the float arm to the hollow body at its valve end, the float arm having a float on the other end, and an abutment surface on its valve end engageable against the valve member to urge it into sealable engagement with the valve seat upon hinging of the float arm in one direction.